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Sweet caress/ William Boyd

A friend of mine, an astute book reader, has a theory on the popular William Boyd that he apes very genre of modern writing : his early works set in Africa are redolent of Waugh, Restless of the spy genre, he has even produced a James Bond novel. In Sweet Caress he however returns to a formula he [...]

September 24, 2015 // 0 Comments

A Rock and Roll hero is something to be …

No apologies from me for being a Rolling Stones fan – when about fifteen years ago I took part in a survey conducted by a family member I picked their 1971 and 1972 albums Sticky Fingers and Exile on Maine Street among my Top Ten all-time favourites – thus any reservations or criticisms [...]

September 18, 2015 // 0 Comments

The Meursault Investigation / Kamel Daoud

Though largely ignored in British literary circles this first novel by Algerian  journalist Kamel  Daoud has created a sensation in France, won prizes, is a best seller, been translated into 17 languages and the film of it is to be released in 2017. The conceit is the brother of the Arab killed [...]

September 3, 2015 // 0 Comments

Adventures in Human Being/ Gavin Francis

When I was a GP I was always amazed how little my patients understood their bodies. The odd heavy drinker had undue faith in the regenerative powers of his liver but to most you had to explain that the heart was a muscular pump. Thus Gavin Francis, a Scottish doctor, has done a service in his book [...]

August 12, 2015 // 0 Comments

Summer’s Crown: the Story of Cricket’s County Championship

A good friend of mine who moves in cricket circles – he chaired the Lords Taverners – recommended  Summer’s Crown to me knowing of my love for County cricket. It’s written by Stephen Chalke and would adorn any cricket library. It celebrates 125 years of county cricket with [...]

August 5, 2015 // 0 Comments

Operation Thunderbolt/ Saul David

Saul David’s account of the raid on Entebbe airport by Israeli commandos in July 1976, known as Operation Thunderbolt, has rightly received glowing reviews. I was particularly interested to compare it to the film Raid on Entebbe one of two films made immediately after the successful operation [...]

July 27, 2015 // 0 Comments

Menabilly

I’m heading up the latest National Rust artistic appreciation tour to the Menabilly estate. Although this has been owned by the Rashleigh family since the reign of Elizabeth 1 it is best known for the 20 odd years that Daphne du Maurier lived here. As a young child on a family holiday at [...]

July 12, 2015 // 0 Comments

Quality versus commercial success

Sometimes those of us who are content to confess “I know nothing about Art [with a capital ‘a’] but I know what I like …” are condemned for either copping out and/or being Philistines, but that’s life and anyway so what? Personally, for example as regards music I am devoid of both [...]

June 28, 2015 // 0 Comments

The Lady from Zagreb/ Philip Kerr

This is the 20th Bernie Gunther novel. It would perhaps be harsh to call it formulaic but they have become predictable. I never criticise a popular author who makes his living from a character, plenty have done so normally in the murder mystery genre. Kerr has branched out with Scott Manson, a [...]

June 17, 2015 // 0 Comments

In the Night of Time /Antonio Molina

One review which you will rarely read (but you will now) is the one where the reviewer gives up on the book. Some book clubs have a protocol whereby a member can give up on the set book provided he/she provides a reason. It’s actually a difficult but common problem of reading. Do you carry on [...]

June 3, 2015 // 0 Comments

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